


Avalanche

by Illidria



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Action, F/M, Foreshadowing, LLF Comment Project, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-01
Updated: 2017-11-01
Packaged: 2019-01-28 02:19:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12595948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Illidria/pseuds/Illidria
Summary: A ringing in his ears that drowned out every other sound, could see several others cover their ears, saw the General close to him, wincing visibly. He saw someone open his mouth, face scared, pointing at the mountain range. They turned, all of them, not hearing the thundering sound of snow sliding down the mountainside.





	Avalanche

**Author's Note:**

> This one is for you, lovely Tumblr-Anon <3

"FIRE!"

Her voice beat the howling of the wind, the sounds of rifles fired, the sound of bloodcurdling screams of pain. The canons fired at her command so much louder, yet seeming as a part of her, not drowning her out, but only roaring in the darkness when she willed them too. Stood near the edge of the wall, elevated on a little welt in the metal, leaning onto her sheathed sword, seeming like a pillar.

Unmovable. Unbeatable. Unbelievable.

Saw her hair whip with the wind from where he stood beside her, short bursts of light illuminating her face for only moments at a time. She seemed so much larger than she was, like she could take their foe on without trouble and with a smirk he remembered that she very well could.

She had strengths, she had weaknesses. He knew it better than most, that she was decidedly human, uniform shed or not.

But her power was no illusion.

"I want Alpha to Delta on ground level, ready to engage in battle. Ready tanks 01 to 06 and prototypes B5 and C2. Ready to roll out in fifteen minutes tops. Major Miles?"

The man stood to her left and stepped forward at her words.

"Yes Ma'am?"

She turned to him, eyes calculating, words sharp.

"You take command of this level, I want pressure-fire on the Drachman forces. Have one of the snipers keep me in their scope, so they can relay further orders, should I need you to hold fire."

"You'll join the battle below?"

She was already turning, commanding him to follow her with a gesture.

"They’re firing with large calibres and no one has been able to identify the type. I want to cut them off should they try to pull back and examine the weapon."

Followed her to ground level, a communication officer catching up with them, telling them the latest details. Were outfitted with weapons and ammunition when reaching their destination, the General giving out orders while at the same time slinging a rifle over her shoulders.

"Formation T around the tanks, each squad one respectively. I'll command the first half; Captain Buccaneer will commandeer the second half. My signal means fire, so keep on the lookout!"

They moved out shortly after that, the sound of canons still loud in the night. Wandered through rather deep snow with his squad, barely able to make out her and her team to the left of him. It was surprising that no one was aiming for them, that their foe did not even seem to notice them advancing on their position. Were masked by the sound of canons fired apparently, the sound of the unknown drachman artillery too still booming in the night, though they could see that most of the enemies’ projectiles missed anything of importance by far. Saw her signal, showing the men under his command the same.

Then, all hell broke loose.

The enemy expected them, though ground troops however ready were no match for their tanks. He gave his soldiers the signal to stand back, to take cover in a deep snow-bank and supress the enemies fire from there. Saw her give a signal in the distance and heard their canons go silent. After a few more moments they stormed the enemies position.

Saw her sword glint in the darkness not too far away from him, heard her shout orders and relayed them to his men. For a few blessed seconds the only sound in the valley was the sound of wind blowing over snow. And then he saw the truck, the searched for weapon on the load bed, tip over when the snow beneath it sunk into itself. Saw a drachman soldier jump down, immediately felled by a gunshot. The weapon on the truck fired on last time, apparently set to by the drachman. Aim more than just bad now that the vehicle had tipped to the side, the bang loud and the flash bright, but the projectile hitting only one of the mountains near them.

A ringing in his ears that drowned out every other sound, could see several others cover their ears, saw the General close to him, wincing visibly. He saw someone open his mouth, face scared, pointing at the mountain range. They turned, all of them, not hearing the thundering sound of snow sliding down the mountainside. Accumulating, dusty snow flurrying up. Knew that they could not outrun an avalanche, trying to steer to the side, steps wide.

Saw all the others in front of him do the same, training internalised. Kept behind the General, who’d rallied all the men and looked like she was shouting at them. And when sound returned to his world, it was the thundering of the encroaching avalanche, growing louder with every second passing, with every jump they made forward and away from it.

Grabbed onto her and held on tight when the wave of snow took them with it, saw her put her arms in front of their mouths. Hoped that it would help, that they could stay as close to the top as possible. That the breathing space that she tried to create would buy them some time to be found. To survive.

Only thought about holding onto her when they rolled through the snow like a misshapen log, could not see anyone else anymore, only the snow flurrying around them.

Could think of nothing when pain shot through his back and the world went black.

* * *

 

She hadn’t been afraid of the dark since she’d been five years old.

It was the smell of blood though, that had the panic rise inside of her.

Forced herself to calm, unable to move more than an inch, opening her eyes to almost absolute darkness. There was only a glimmer of light above them, the realization how deep they were putting her self-control to a test.

Could barely make out his face in front of her, shared closeness like that usually revelled in, now only putting her on edge. Felt his breath on her face, smelling metallic. Tried to move her body, only able to turn her head a little and move her arms about to a limited extent. Was careful not to push too hard on the snow, a mass as hard as concrete now, but fragile enough to collapse above them. Touched his face with fingertips feeling frozen, eternally glad when he reacted to it.

They had only few minutes of life left if they weren’t found soon and seeing that he was fighting with unconsciousness, seemed to be wounded, that timeframe could be even smaller.

“Hey big guy, you in there?”

Could barely hear herself, right ear giving her nothing but silence, left ear offering own voice, weirdly muffled. Saw his eyes flicker open, allowing herself a fraction of relief.

“…livier? Wha…?”

The smell of metal, of blood, intensifying. Was simply glad that he responded to her at all, felt him move and heard him wince. Did not know if he’d maybe caught a bullet during the battle, maybe broke a bone during their tumble through the snow. Was maybe bleeding internally just now, in incredible pain and freezing to death.

Pushed her panic down again, knowing full well that it could not take over now.

Caught part of her sword in the snow next to them, unsheathed. Must have slipped the sheath at her hip during the avalanche. Grabbed for it with one hand, slowly, her other hand remaining on Buccaneers face.

He was still moving little, mouth moving, but no words escaping. His head lolling to the side as much as the snow allowed, which lead her hand to connecting with his face harder.

“Hey, don’t you dare die on me! Please don’t!”

Saw his eyes flutter again, saw a smile play along his lips. Heard voices above, muffled, distant. Grabbed her sword tighter.

“Don’t trash now, okay? We’ll get out of here!”

Started to thrust her weapon up and into the snow, into the parts where she could see a glimmer of light. The edge of her sword bit into her flesh, handle not yet found by her, but she could hardly feel it, even revelled in the warmth the running blood lend to parts of her skin. Snow falling on their faces, she closed her eyes against it, picking blindly.

The screaming from above got louder.

More snow falling on their faces when they seemed to be dug out. Pressed her hands in front of his face then, letting go of her sword entirely, protecting his nose and mouth. Did not want him to suffocate now, not when he seemed to fight with staying conscious at all.

The moments until she felt hands pulling on her body feeling like an eternity, not even able to move with them.

Saw a few faces swimming before her vision, the light suddenly seeming extremely bright, the pressure on her body lessening.

“Buccaneer is wounded, there was blood…”

Felt hands helping her, desire to stand up and help thwarted by her own body, finally giving out.

Felt herself going under, the world turning to black again.

* * *

 

The doc had been smart to put them in the same room.

Maybe expected her to flee if she didn’t, that she would get up and go search for him. Which wasn’t an assumption too out of this world, rather realistic. But she’d not expected to wake up, vision hazy, him in a bed close to hers, sitting upright and looking at her with worry and happiness fighting for dominance on his face.

“Good morning star-shine!”

She answered with a groan, her chest hurting and silencing her reply, leading her to cough. Calmed again after a few painful moments, wondering why the doc had broken her rips instead of just bundling her up in a bunch of blankets.

Trying to sit up, the doc seemingly materializing out of thin air and pushing her down again.

“Well now, already trying to wander off again?”

Lay her down in a better position, fluffing up the pillow beneath her and at least raising the head of the infirmary bed, so she wasn’t completely flat on her back. The irritated expression offered to her in response answered with a raised eyebrow.

“No need to look at me like that General, I’m not the one that had to be reanimated twice on her way back to the Fort. You have extensive bruising and two broken ribs because of it, not to mention the injuries you sustained during the battle and avalanche. The Captain here had a piece of a tree lodged into his back and did not give me as much trouble.”

Groaned again, this time without a cough-attack, but still with a lot of pain.

“How long?”

The question clear and expected, the doc crooking her head to the side.

“Do I need to restrain you?”

Her answer coming fast and with little thought.

“Oh, fuck off!”

Buccaneer laughed, waving at the doc and winking at her. Meaning clear: I’ll take watch.

The doc reacting equally cool, used to her whimsies, saluting lopsidedly.

“Yeah General, it’s an honour to serve.”

Went on her merry way, Buccaneers huge hand winding around her wrist in no time once the doc was out of sight.

“Cut yourself up pretty badly the doc said.”

His face having decided on worry, jaw set, brows furrowed, but eyes soft.

“Better than dying though!”

Looked him in the eyes, cool front up in the setting of the infirmary, but her eyes open. He read in them and smiled, worry not gone, but lessening, features less set in an instant.

“It was close they she said, for both of us.”

“Where’d you get the piece of wood from?”

Raised her eyebrows at least, wondering if the doc would come running if she lifted her other hand and punched Buccaneer’s arm.

“Invited it at breakfast.”

She snorted through the pain in her chest and looked at him with the question burning in her eyes.

“Seemed to be worse under the snow, how come you’d not try to die?”

Her joke not making him laugh. He talked, unusually serious.

“Your body took the brunt of the snow, several tons of the stuff you held away from me. Probably didn’t notice it?”

She shook her hand no, felt his hand tighten around her wrist. Wished she could squeeze back, hands wrapped thickly in bandages.

“When your body was free again, when everything could expand again, it was too much for your heart to handle. Miles already asked when you got the second tattoo.”

Groaned, inwardly this time. Her men knew she was a woman, though they really, _really_ , liked to deny it. Did not know why, nor did she care. But reanimation often went with a ripped uniform and parts exposed that were usually Buccaneer-only.

“What did you tell him?”

“That there’s more important things to worry about right now. Was scared you’d never wake up again.”

Dared to lift her other hand then, too thickly bandaged, and put it on top of his arm. The doc not appearing and his gaze softening.

“Says the guy who’s invited over a piece of wood to cuddle.”

A snort escaping him at that, a smile finally gracing his mouth. She returned it, sincerely, as wide as she dared in a place where at every moment someone walked in.

“So, you’re going to be alright?”

It was the doc answering him, apparently drawn by her lifting her hand, calling from the door.

“If she stays in bed, she will!”

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of [LLF Comment Project](https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject), whose goal is to improve communication between readers and authors. I invite you to leave:
> 
> _Short comments_   
>  _Long comments_   
>  _Questions_   
>  _Constructive criticism_   
>  _Reader-reader interaction_
> 
> I reply to every comment, though it sometimes takes me a day, or two.
> 
> I thank you for reading this fic of mine through to the end. I appreciate all comments and kudos and should you want to get into direct contact with me [this is my tumblr](http://illidria.tumblr.com/)


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